Prepare!!

You never know when something bad is going to happen to yourself or someone in your family. With our recent trip home due to my mother-in-laws accident I learned somethings that you should do in case something happens to you, and you can't tell people what your wishes are.

Always have a will, make up a legal will, do a living will as well, especially if you have children, younger children still in the home. Someone needs to know where to take those children should something happen to you. Make sure your closest relatives have copies of those wills, and keep one in your fire box. This way, everyone knows your wishes and their can be no arguments about any of it.

Have emergency numbers on your fridge for relatives in case an ambulance service has to come get you, they will know who to notify right away. Also in your cell phone put ICE (In Case of Emergency) next to the names EMT's would need to call should you be in an accident.

Put all of your passwords (ie: computer, phone, emails) on a piece of paper in you jewelry box, also in your fire box. Keep your firebox key or combo in your jewelry box or in an obvious place for a family member to find. Have copies of all your credit cards in there as well as all your banking information. If you are older, have one of your adult children on your back accounts, even younger have a parent or relative on your banking account for access. If something happens to you, the money will freeze and they will not have access to pay your bills or help take care of your children if need be. Also keep a list of all running bills on your desktop, in your firebox, wherever so that people know what you need to pay monthly in order to keep your house going if need be. Make sure you update it consistently, as they will need the most up to date information.

Make sure you have down your insurance companies and policy numbers, not just medical but your car, homeowners, whatever you have, so that your insurance can be contacted to cover the costs, or put your car on storage mode, or extra insurance on the house in case a pipe freezes and breaks.

Have a note about a paper delivery, something that my get dropped off to your house repeatedly and if not picked up someone will know you are not there. Have your outdoor lights and some indoor lights on timers, so if someone does approach the house it will have the illusion of occupancy. Make sure immediate neighbors know what is going on, and have a back up plan for your pets. Just because your family is taking care of you, does not always mean they can take your pets as well, so have a plan for your pets.

Let local law enforcement know the situation, they can put your loved ones house on their routes so that someone drives by to check on it consistently, there is a form you fill out letting them know what cars and persons will be there regularly so if they do come during a time you are there, they won't arrest you.

ANYTHING you may not want someone to find in your home, very personal items, keep in a tub in your closet marked DO NOT OPEN!! THROW AWAY!!! So if you have a porn collection, or "toys" or something of a very personal nature that you would be mortified that someone found, keep it in a tub so that if something does happen to you, they know they don't want to know what's in there.

It is important to understand that you may not be capable of letting everyone know all the information needed for long term care, or death. There is a lot of day-to-day things we do, that we would think someone would be able to just pick up and do, but really they can't know everything about you, nor do they know how you would do things. We get so lost in our own lives that we don't think about if something were to happen to us, all those little details that we do everyday that someone wouldn't even know where to begin if they had to walk into your life.

Most importantly, be prepared, you never know when something might happen, and it is important to protect yourself as well as your family in the event something might happen. Be safe, be prepared, and give you and your family piece of mind.

Holiday Depression

It's that time of year again. The hustle and bustle of the holidays, and me without my happy pills. I find that this time every year I get this spout of "can't do anything rightis.." I find myself questioning all decisions made over the past year, the choices throughout my life, and myself as a wife, mother, and friend. I find myself degrading my abilities to keep the house clean, the finances in order, and my family happy. It's as though the holidays which are suppose to bring out the best in people, really brings out the neurosis in me. There is never enough time, enough money, and enough wisdom to get through the holidays. There is so much to prepare for, so much to do, and it's frustrating when your house looks like a tornado when through it, and you can't get organized enough to get your decorations out. The holidays are always the time when I really wish I was a stay-at-home mom, just so I can get everything done, and not worry about how to do it all after work.

This year I'm feeling particularly sad as we had to take our impromptu trip to PA to see Mike's mother who was burned badly in a fire. When I got back I realized all the things I didn't get done and then that weight began to burden me. And now, we have to worry of his mom. I've noticed my sleep patterns have been bad, I keep getting heartburn constantly, and my emotions have been rampant. I am not a crier but lately feel as though I could cry at the drop of a hat. When will I get it together, when will organization fall on to me and I can know where to begin and how to do it all without battling in out with my family.

I want a clean house, I want to be able to wake up in the morning and get to work on time, without all the stress, I want to do things at the drop of a hat without the worry of what I didn't get done and will we be able to find the things we need to do it. I need a fairy to come into my life, I need motivation and energy. Energy, that's what I'm lacking, and I can't figure out why I'm so tired all the time. I'm tired of being tired, tired of being stressed, tired of being dis-organized, tired of being over-weight, and tired of letting this weight control my life. Where did it all go wrong? Where did I slip and never get back up again? Who all suffers for my exhaustion, is this the reason my daughter fails school because of my dis-organization, the reason my son is over-weight is because of me? My husband is angry all the time because of what I don't/can't do?

I just want to feel better. I want to be one of those skinny moms who has it all together, clean house, perfect kids, adoring husband, smile on their face. I'm tired of being the disheveled, stressed out, dis-organized mother that my children loath. My husband can't handle being around, I need to make changes only I don't know where to begin. I pray, and pray for guidance and strength to get my family through all this, I pray and pray to feel better, to lose weight and have given my finances to the Lord knowing that I can not control all things and he will do it for me. But the things I need to be in charge of, I haven't been able to do. Why? What is wrong with me?